The Armour–Stiner House is an
octagon-shaped and domed Victorian-style house located at 45 West Clinton Avenue in
Irvington, in
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...
. It was designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
in 1976.
[ and ] It is the only known fully domed octagonal residence. The house was modeled after
Donato Bramante
Donato Bramante (1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style to Rom ...
’s 1502
Tempietto in Rome, which in turn was based on a
Tholos, a type of ancient classical temple.
The house was built in 1859–1860 by financier
Paul J. Armour based on the architectural ideas of
Orson Squire Fowler
Orson Squire Fowler (October 11, 1809 – August 18, 1887) was an American phrenologist and lecturer. He also popularized the octagon house in the middle of the nineteenth century.
Early life
The son of Horace and Martha (Howe) Fowler, he ...
, the author of ''The Octagon House: A Home for All Occasions''. Fowler believed that octagonal houses enclosed more space, provided more interior sunlight, and that its rooms were easily accessible to each other. Fowler's ideas gained significant traction in the mid-to-late 19th century.
The architect of the house is unknown. It is the only known octagonal house based on the domed colonnade shape of a Roman temple.
The dome was added and the house was enlarged during 1872–1876 by
Joseph Stiner, who was a tea importer. The Armour–Stiner House is said to be one of the most lavish octagon houses built in the period, and is now one of only perhaps a hundred still extant.
In the 1930s, the house was owned by
Aleko E. E. Lilius, a Finnish writer and explorer,
and from 1946 to 1976 by historian
Carl Carmer, who maintained that the house was haunted. In 1976, the house was briefly owned by the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 ...
to prevent it from being demolished. The Trust was unable to fund the amount of renovation the property required, and sold it to the
preservationist
Preservationist is generally understood to mean ''historic preservationist'': one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects, or sites from demolition or degradation. Historic preservation u ...
architect,
Joseph Pell Lombardi
Joseph Pell Lombardi is a New York City-based architect and real estate investor.
Born in New York City where he spent his childhood, Lombardi moved to Irvington, New York for his high-school years. He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree ...
, who has conserved and renovated the house, interiors, grounds and outbuildings.
The house remains a private residence. It is located on the south side of West Clinton Avenue, on the crest of a hill overlooking the
Hudson River
The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
, to the west. It is about 1650 feet from the river, and about 140 feet above it, consistent with Fowler's siting ideas. The
Old Croton Aqueduct
The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842. The great aqueducts, which were among the first in the United States, carried water by gravity fr ...
, another National Historic Landmark, abuts the property on the east.
In September 2017, Lombardi offered the house for rent through
Sotheby's
Sotheby's ( ) is a British-founded multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine art, fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...
, for $40,000 a month.
[Nessy, Messy (ndg]
"Rent this Ornate Octagon House on the Hudson for $40,000 a Month"
''Apartment Therapy''
Description
The four-story house, plus an
observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed.
Th ...
, encompasses . The complex includes a barn, a carriage house, a well house used as a
gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or Gun turret, turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden, or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands.
In British English, the word is also used for a tent-like can ...
, and the original
Lord & Burnham
Lord & Burnham was a noted American boiler and greenhouse manufacturer, and builders of major public conservatories in the United States.
History
The company began in 1849 when Frederick A. Lord, a carpenter, started building wood and glass green ...
conservatory greenhouse
A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...
. The house's main floor is surrounded by a
veranda
A veranda (also spelled verandah in Australian and New Zealand English) is a roofed, open-air hallway or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front an ...
decorated with carved wooden
gingerbread
Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger root, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly ...
detailing and lit with gas lamps. The interior of the house includes an entrance hall, a
solarium
Solarium may refer to:
* A sunroom, a room built largely of glass to afford exposure to the sun
* A terrace (building) or flat housetop
* The '' Solarium Augusti'', a monumental meridian line (or perhaps a sundial) erected in Rome by Emperor Aug ...
, a library, a curio room, a music room in the
Egyptian Revival style, a 360-degree "dance room" added by Stiner, a billiard room, a wine cellar, seven bedrooms and three bathrooms, two kitchens and a pantry.
Guided tours
In April 2019, the Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House opened its doors for guided tours by appointment. Reservations can be made through it
website
In popular culture
*The house is the main setting for the 1981 horror film ''
The Nesting
''The Nesting'' (later released as ''Massacre Mansion'') is a 1981 American supernatural horror film directed and co-written by Armand Weston, and starring Robin Groves, Michael Lally, John Carradine, and Gloria Grahame in her final film role. I ...
''.
*The house is featured in
Tony Millionaire
Tony Millionaire (born Scott Richardson in 1956) is an American cartoonist, illustrator and author known for his syndicated comic strip '' Maakies'' and the ''Sock Monkey'' series of comics and picture books.
Personal life
Born Scott Richards ...
's ''
Sock Monkey
A sock monkey is a stuffed toy made from socks fashioned in the likeness of a monkey. These stuffed animals are a mixture of folk art and kitsch in the culture of the United States, cultures of the United States and culture of Canada, Canada. Th ...
'' Volume 4, #2 (2003), reprinted in ''The Collected Works of Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey''.
*An exterior shot of the home was used in the film, ''
Across the Universe
"Across the Universe" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the 1969 various artists' charity compilation album ''No One's Gonna Change Our W ...
''.
Across the Universe (2007)
The house appears at the 1 hr. 7 min. 30 sec. mark, the last part of Track 14 ("I Am the Walrus"). The Octagon House is seen briefly after the "Magical Mystery Tour" bus arrives in a wooded area. It is first depicted in psychedelic colors and then with a moat surrounding it. The building is described by Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
(playing "Dr. Robert") as the "Headquarters of the League of Spiritual Deliverance", the home of Dr. Geary (an allusion to Dr. Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from "bold oracle" to "publicity hound". Accordin ...
).
See also
*
References
Notes
External links
Official website
at Irvington Historical Society
at Joseph Pell Lombardi, Architect.
at Joseph Pell Lombardi in the News
at the Gombach Group, Inc.
Images
*
*
Interior and exterior photographs taken in 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Armour-Stiner House
Octagon houses in New York (state)
National Historic Landmarks in New York (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Westchester County, New York
Houses completed in 1860
Houses in Westchester County, New York
Irvington, New York
Historic American Buildings Survey in New York (state)
Gilded Age mansions
New York State Register of Historic Places in Westchester County